About the Cast…
Recognized the world over from his Performances in the “Mad Max” film trilogy, MEL GIBSON (Dale McKussic) attained even greater popularity with his portrayal of Martin Riggs, the cop registered with the Los Angeles Police Department as a “Lethal Weapon.”
Born in upstate New York, the Gibson family emigrated to Australia when Mel was 11 years old. After high school, he enrolled in a three-year study program at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.
His curriculum at the Institute was interrupted the first time for Gibson to make his screen debut as a surfer in a small Australian film entitled “Summer City.
Shortly after his return to school, the actor took another. hiatus from his dramatic training, this time to star as a policeman in a post-apocalyptic future, known as “Mad Max” (1979).. Despite the instant acclaim and numerous acting offers he received, Gibson chose to complete his studies.
Upon graduation from the Institute, he joined the State Theatre Company of South Australia, appearing in productions of “Romeo and Juliet,” “Waiting For Godot” and a hit Australian play entitled “No Names, No Pack Drill .”
Gibson’s return to the screen showed audiences a totally different side of the actor as he portrayed “Tim,” (1979) a retarded handyman forced to cope with life and
his love for a woman twice his age. This performance brought him a Best Actor Award from the Australian FilmInstitute, as well as the Sammy Award as an. outstanding new talent. 1979 also found Gibson in “Attack Force Z,” a World War II drama. In 1981, Gibson saw action- in the first World War, under the direction of Peter Weir “Gallipoli,” for which he received his second AFI Best Actor Award.
Recreating the role of Mad Max for director .George Miller in 1982’s “The Road Warrior,” Gibson also re-teamed with Peter Weir for “The Year of Living Dangerously” (1983).
He returned to the Australian stage in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” which was followed by the Dino de Laurentiis production of “The Bounty” (1984), featuring Gibson in the role of Fletcher Christian
Gibson made his American film debut opposite Sissy Spacek in “The River” (1984), as a rural farmer pitted against a failing economy and the natural element!. He next appeared as a prisoner who seduces a warden’s wife (Diane Keaton) into aiding his escape in “Mrs. Soffel.”
Gibson made his third visit to the future in”Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1986). Following his performance in “Tequila Sunrise,” Gibson returns to the right side of the law with partner Danny Glover in “Lethal Weapon II”
MICHELLE PFEIFFER (Jo Ann Vallenari), was born and raised in Orange County. At Fountain Valley High School, Pfeiffer took theatre in an effort to avoid English classes, but soon discovered that she enjoyed the company of those
in the theatre and began her studies in earnest. Pfeiffer began commuting to Los Angeles to acting. Her first professional role came on the television series “Delta House.” One month later she made her feature film debut in “Falling In Love Again.”
Roles as a carhop in “Hollywood Knights” and -a debutante in “Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen” followed, and the actress garnered major attention for her role as the flamboyant “Pink Lady” in “Grease 2.” Her work in television
movies includes the role of Jennie in “Splendor in the Grass, a foster parent to nine kids in “The Children Nobody Wanted” and a floozie .haunted by her past in “Caine and Son.”
Pfeiffer’s first starring role came opposite Al Pacino in “Scarface,” next taking on the part of Rutger Hauer’s doomed lover in Richard Donner’s medieval fantasy “Ladyhawke.”
She co-starred with Jeff Goldblum in John Landis’ “Into the Night” and took on the dual role of Faith Healy, a calculating actress on the rise, and patriot Mary Slocum, the character that Faith portrays in “Sweet Liberty,” directed by and
starring Alan Aida.
In 1986, Pfeiffer, along with co-stars Cher and Susan Sarandon, worked her supernatural charms on a devilish Jack Nicholson, as one of “The Witches of Eastwick.”- As Angela DeMarco, Pfeiffer portrayed the widow of a lithe hitman trying to take control of her life, but instead found herself “Married to the Mob.” Pfeiffer will shortly star opposite Glenn Close and John Malkovich in “Dangerous Liaisons,” Warner Bros.’ screen version of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses.”
Inspired by his father’, actor Bing Russell (who played the sheriff on “Bonanza” for 14 years), KURT RUSSELL (Fresci4) made his professional debut at the age of nine as a member of the Walt Disney company of stock players He graduated from appearances on Disney’s television series to starring roles in ten of the studio’s feature films ranging from “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” to the animated feature “The Fox and the Hound.” His non-Disney series work includes starring roles in “The Travels of Jamie McPheeters,” “The New Land” and “The Quest,” as well as guest-starring roles in numerous major dramatic series.
Russell has also appeared in such made for television movies as “The Deadly Tower” (1975) and “Amber waves,” (1980), but it was his performance as the king of rock ‘in’ roll in – John Carpenter’s “Elvis” that garnered the actor both wide-
spread- critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination. The telefilm’s popularity led to an expanded version which was released theatrically in the United States and overseas.
Since that time, Russell has devoted his career exclusively to motion pictures, essaying a versatile range of characters. He has displayed comedic acumen in films such as “Used Cars,” “Swing Shift,” “The Best of Times” and “Overboard.” His dramatic work includes his role as Meryl. Streep’s boyfriend in “Silkwood” and as a reporter who is drawn into a relationship with a killer in “The Mean Season.”
In the action/adventure genre, Russell has reteamed with “Elvis” director John Carpenter for the films “Escape From New York,” The Thing” and “Big Trouble In Little -China.”.
Years earlier, Russell made his legitimate theatre debut opposite ‘Gregory Harrison.and-Lisa Eichhotn in the Los Angeles Music Center production of “The Hasty Heart.”
RAUL JULIA (Commandante Escalante) a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, studied law at the University of Puerto Rico before deciding on an acting career. Appearing in a show
at a San Juan nightclub, Julia was spotted by American actor/comedian Orson Bean, who advised the young man to move to New York City to further. his acting studies.
Within weeks after his arrival in New York, the actor began to work in English and Spanish off-off-Broadway productions. In 1966, Julia began what was to be a long and fruitful association with producer/director Joseph-Papp, who cast him as
Macduff in the New York Shakespeare Festival Mobile Unit’s production of “Macbeth.” Years later, Julia played a leading role in an off-Broadway production of “Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
Julia received his first Tony Award nomination for that role on Broadway.
Other memorable stage performances by Julia include “The Threepenny Opera” (Tony nomination), the Circle In the Square revival of “Where’s Charley?” (Tony nomination), “Betrayal,” “Dracula,” “The Taming of the Shrew” opposite Meryl Streep, John Malkovich’s production of “Arms and the Man” co-starring Kevin Kline, and the role of an Italian film director caught in a midlife crisis in “Nine,” for which he received his fourth Tony nomination.
Recent years have established Julia as a significant film actor aswell, with starring roles in the films “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “The Tempest,” “The Morning After,” “Compromising Positions” and “Moon Over Parador,” -among others. On television, he has been seen in the mini-series “Mussolini,” “The Alamo.: Thirteen Days to Glory,” and in the title role of “Onassis
J.T: WALSH (Maguire) embarked upon a career in acting. at the age of 30, leaving a job in sales to join an off- Broadway theatre troupe. Despite his late start, the actor has amassed an impressive list of credits in a relativelyshort time.
After several years in regional theatre and extensive work off-Broadway, Walsh earned a Tony nomination for his role in “Glengarry Glen Ross” on Broadway. He also appeared in stage productions of “Rose” with Glenda Jackson, “Last Licks” with Ed Flanders, “Macbeth” with Nicol Williamson, and “Richard III” as an understudy for Al Pacino.
In addition to theatre, Walsh has been featured in the made-for-television movies “On the Edge,” “Right to Kill,” “Little Gloria, Happy at Last,” “Today’s FBI,” “Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number,” and “Windmills of the Gods.” Walsh’s feature film credits include “Eddie- Macon’s Run,”. “Power,” “Hard Choices,” “House of Games,” “Hannah and Her Sisters” and two films for director Barry Levinson–“Tin Men” and “Good Morning Vietnam.” Walsh will portray journalist Bob Woodward
the screen adaptation of Woodward’s biography of John Belushi, “Wired.”
ARLISS HOWARD (Gregg-lindroff) who performed in “A Hatful of Rain” as a high-school senior in Independence, Missouri was subsequently offered a drama scholarship to
Missouri’s Columbia College.
Graduating with a degree in English Literature, Howard moved to New Mexico, where he worked as a cowboy. Suffering a broken leg, the actor recuperated in Kansas City, where he became involved in local theatre productions-, There he was discovered by a casting director who brought him to the attention of director Nicolas Meyer, who offered Howard a role in the television film “The Day After.”
Moving to Los Angeles, the actor made his feature film debut in “The Prodigal,” followed by toles in “Ladies’ Choice,” “Door to Door” and “Sylvester.” He received major critical acclaim for his portrayal of “Cowboy” in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” and as a psychopathic killer in “The Lightship.” Earlier this year he was seen as a policeman
who goes undercover in a high school to solve a murder in “Plain Clothes.” His next film is Warner Bros.’ “Men Don’t Leave,” starring Jessica Lange.
Howard’s television credits include appearances in the series “After M*A*S*H,” “Hill Street Blues-,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Call- to Glory” and the NBC mini-series: “Hands of a Stranger.” While acting in “Tequila Sunrise,” Howard was also appearing -onstage at Mark Taper Forum in “A Lie of the Mind,” with Holly Hunter. Other stage performances include roles in “Romeo and Juliet,” “In the Boom Boom Room;” “Henry IV, Part I,” “American Buffalo,” “Life
Limb” and “Fool for Love.”
Howard resides in Los Angeles withhis -wife and son.
ANN MAGNUSON (Shaleen) was born in Charleston, West Virginia, and attended Denison University. Moving to New York to intern as a director at the Ensemble Studio Theatre,
the actress found herself intrigued with the Lower East Side art scene. She founded and managed Club 57, located in the basement of a Polish church. It was in this club and others across the country where she introduced a number of satirical characters including a cocktail lounge chanteuse who sings along with Muzak in an elevator and a television evangelist caught between the channels of public access.
She has appearedon screen in “The Hunger,” “Sleepwalk,” “Mondo New York” and “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.”
A bit part as a cigarette girl in Susan Seidelman’s “Desperately Seeking Susan” led to the starring role in the director’s next film, “Making Mr. Right.” Magnuson has also done video pieces (“Vandemonium,” “Cinemax Comedy Experiment”
and “Made For TV,” which was shown on public television), and has started several musical groups, among them Pulsallama, Vulcan Death Grip and Bleecker Street Incident.
Journalistic pieces penned by Magnuson have beenpublished in the Soho Weekly News, and the actress is prominently mentioned in the books The East Village Scene: Art After Midnight and Downtown and the Avant-Garde in New York.
ARYE GROSS (Sandy Leonard) credits his fifth grade production of “Homer and the Doughnut Shop” as being the inspiration for his desire to act. A native of Los Angeles, Gross left college after his first year, when he was invited to join the South Coast Repertory Theatre, appearing in productions of “Art For Pete’s Sake,” “Brecht On Brecht” and “Wild Oats.” Gross was presented with a Dramalogue Award for his portrayal of a mentally-retarded adolescent in “Screwball.” Other theatre credits include. a recent productionof “Room Service” at the Pasadena Playhouse, “Three Sisters” for the Los Angeles Theatre Center, “The Chicago Conspiracy Trial” for the Odyssey
Theatre Ensemble and “Much Ado About Nothing” for the Grove Shakespeare Festival.”
His debut in motion pictures came with small roles in the films “Just One of the Guys” and “Exterminator II.”
He has since graduated to co-starring roles in “Soul Man,” “House II: The Second Story” and “The Couch Trip.” On television he guest-starred in the series “Remington Steele,” “Knight Rider” and “Diff’rent Strokes” and appeared in the pilot episode of “Heart of the City.” Gross stars opposite John Travolta in director Dave Thomas’ “The Experts.”